Category: Pasta

Nonna Emilia's Baked Pasta : Recipes at My Table

Nonna Emilia’s Baked Pasta

Nonna Emilia’s Baked Pasta

Some things leave their mark on you and years later, this is just that dish!  I can smell it, taste it and love it like the very first time I ate it.  Nonna Emilia’s Baked Pasta brings me back to simpler times when food was at the centre of the home.  This pasta was a take-along for the beach.  If you grew up in Sault Ste. Marie in the 60s, all the Italians headed to the beach on Sunday.  They all prepared their homemade dishes and there was a feast on the sand.  Imagine the longest line of picnic tables with a feast made for kings.  I can still smell the beach and the sand when I cut this pasta.

Whether the beach or at home, we all gathered and there were smiles all around.  Nonna’s simple, but good ingredients come together for the most comforting dish.

I miss nonna and  I want one of her dishes; being in the kitchen always makes me feel her arms around me.  The marinara sauce comes together with the tiny meatballs and they both give this recipe texture and flavour.  In typical Calabrese style, I boil eggs and all the other ingredients are cut hunter style in big chunks.  Sharp Asiago and and mild Friulano are also a part of the stuffing.  Of course, I put in lots of grated parmesan.

Our favourite sauce that we made together:  https://recipesatmytable.com/calabrese-sunday-sauce/

Growing up I watched nonna use everything in the kitchen and nothing went to waste.  She often used bacon fat to season and fry.  I don’t do this often, but today I use duck fat to fry the meatballs.

 

The duck fat is pure and flavourful.

Tiny meatballs: use my recipe link and take a teaspoon of the mixture and cut in half for each meatball.

Look at the brown flavour in these meatballs.

All the cheeses and meatballs lined up.

Slice the eggs.

Put a layer of sauce and then half the pasta followed by the eggs.

Then add the meatballs and the chunks of cheese.

Top with some marinara sauce and then start the second layer.

Second layer all done.

Ready for the oven.

Full shot of this extraordinary pasta!!

Nonna Emilia's Baked Pasta : Recipes at My Table

 

Nonna Emilia's Baked Pasta : Recipes at My Table
5 from 1 vote
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Nonna Emilia's Baked Pasta

A combination of Asiago, Friulano and Parmesan add flavour to this dish.  

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Keyword Nonna Emilia's Baked Pasta
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 4 cups marinara sauce
  • 80 tiny meatballs
  • 4 tbsp canola oil frying meatballs ( I used duck fat today)
  • 1 cup Asiago
  • 1 cup Friulano
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan
  • 4 hard boiled eggs
  • 1 package 500 gr short pasta

Instructions

  1. Cook the sauce.

    Make the meatballs.  Each little meatball is about 1/2 a tsp of mixture. 

     Roll about 80, and fry. 

    Set aside in a bowl. 

    Boil the eggs, cool, peel and slice.

    Cut up all the cheese into cubes about 1/2 inch.

    Boil your pasta according to package directions.  Any short pasta like penne or rigatoni is good.  

    Take a 9 X 13 baking dish and put 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom.

    Put half the pasta in and spread it out.

    Add parmesan, eggs, meatballs, cubed cheese and 1/2 cup sauce.

    Repeat this again.

    Wrap with tinfoil and place in a 350 F oven for 45 minutes.

    Remove foil and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

    Pour remainder 1/2 cup sauce over dish.

    Let sit for 30 minutes before cutting.

Recipe Notes

Marinara sauce:  https://recipesatmytable.com/marinara-sauce-passata-making/ 

 

Meatballs:  https://recipesatmytable.com/italian-meatballs/

 

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Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table

Tagliatelle with Fennel and Zucchini

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini

There is a myth that pasta makes you fat.  Every time I go to Italy, I remember that it isn’t the pasta that makes us fat, but what we dress it with.  Nonna believed in everything in moderation; she was a tall slender woman who ate pasta every day. These days I make more homemade pasta dough, but dress it with healthier sauces. Tagliatelle with Fennel and Zucchini makes me think of nonna’s cooking.

When I made pasta with nonna, we hung a broom pole right across the kitchen to dry the noodles.  She would let me hang them as she rolled and cut by hand.  I carried them over to the pole on a wooden spoon.  It was so much fun.  We seasoned life with laughter mixing fun and making memories.

My nonna and mom encouraged us all to cook; they believed that no one was born a great cook, but we learn by doing.   The person doing the cooking brings soul and love to the recipe.  For them food was medicine and when you eat well you feel well.  Isn’t that some of the advice we hear today?  With more and more people getting sick, we need to get back to basics; therefore, ditch the packaged stuff and spend a little more time in the kitchen.

Today’s sauce contains olive oil, garlic, pepperoncino, and zucchini. It does not get simpler or healthier than this.  We eat pasta twice a week and for me it’s as easy as opening the refrigerator and choosing some fresh ingredients.

For a simple pasta, don’t forget this easy recipe:  https://recipesatmytable.com/old-time-pasta-dough/

I can’t take enough pictures of the flour and eggs; so simple, but good.

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table

The dough comes together with a little water.

Wrapped in plastic and ready for resting.

A Modern machine makes my life easy in the kitchen.

After I cut all the sheets, I use the tagliatelle attachment.

I dust the noodles with semolina.  It keeps it from sticking and doesn’t clump like flour.

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table

I make little nests and they go into the refrigerator.

Fennel is one of my favourite vegetables.  I eat it raw, but today it will make the sauce for these noodles. 

Sliced thinly it hits the frying pan.

It is soft and ready to come out of the pan and into the blender.

I chop the zucchini and onion.

Use the same frying pan to sautee them.

Then I pour the pureed fennel into the zucchini.

The noodles don’t take long to cook.

I dress the pasta with the sauce and add the fennel fronds.

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table

All plated and I use one of the garlic cloves that I pulled out earlier.

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table

Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini Recipes at My Table
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Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini

An easy healthy pasta sauce.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Keyword Tagliatelle with fennel and zucchini
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The tagliatelle

  • 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 5-6 tbs cold water

The Sauce

  • 1 bulb fennel remove outer layers, wash
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 tbsp olive oil reserve 1 tbsp for zucchini
  • 1/2 tsp pepperoncino
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 small zucchini
  • salt and pepper
  • grated parmesan to dress pasta
  • 1 cup water reserve 1/2

Instructions

The Pasta

  1. Place flour and eggs in a food processor.

    Pulse on high.

    Add water one tbsp at a time until dough forms a ball.

    Remove and knead for a minute.

    Wrap in Plastic and put in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

The Sauce

  1. Wash the fennel and remove the outer leaves.

    Thinly slice include the fronds.  Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the fronds for dressing the pasta. 

    In a large sauce pan place the 2 tbsp of olive oil and the garlic.  Let the garlic infuse the oil.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  

    Remove the garlic and add the pepperoncino.

    Add the thinly sliced fennel and sauté. 

    Add the vegetable broth and cook to soften the fennel.

    Remove add the other 1/2 cup water and puree.

    To the same pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil and the diced small onion.

    Cut the zucchini into small bite size pieces and sauté. 

    Introduce the pureed fennel sauce to the pan. 

    Stir and remove from the heat.  

The Pasta

  1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator.

    Roll it out and make the tagliatelle.

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. Salt the water generously after you put in the pasta.

    The pasta will cook quickly.

    Remove with tongs and place in the pan with the sauce. At this point turn the heat on to medium for your pan.

    Toss.  This is where you might need a bit of the pasta water to thicken the sauce.

    Remove from heat.  Add the cheese and a little more olive oil.

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Linguini With Pancetta and Zucchini: Recipes at My Table

Linguini With Pancetta and Zucchini

Linguini With Pancetta and Zucchini

I am always looking for pasta any time of the week and this dish serves up easily.  Linguini with Pancetta and Zucchini cooks in 20 minutes.  Set a pot of water to boil and start making the sauce.  If you never cooked with Linguine, it is thicker than spaghetti, but not as wide as fettucini.  They are best for light sauces; perfect for vegetables.  I often like to make my own pasta, but there are so many good dried pasta brands on the market. There is nothing wrong with dried pasta.

It is nice to have a variety of vegetables incorporated into our meals, and this one is a fun one with the  matchstick-sized zucchini.  I cut them thicker to keep some shape and crunch.  I don’t like overcooked vegetables.  The sauce is velvety and simple.  I use a little wine, but you can omit this.  Don’t forget to use some of the pasta water for your sauce; it is the best for adding creaminess.  Long before all the famous chefs started doing this, I watched my nonna and mom use the pasta water to work its magic.  One simple dish we always made consisted of ricotta, pasta water and parmesan cheese.  Try it sometime!!

I love pancetta; it is our version of bacon.  As Italians, pancetta makes us happy and makes us smile.  Pancetta is pork belly which is salted and cured. Sometimes we add spices to the pancetta.  I go to the butcher and ask him to give me half inch slices for pasta.  That’s enough for two!! Lol

A good pasta guide for sauces go to:  https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/54492/when-pasta-met-sauce/

My zucchini cut into Thick matchstick slices.

This pancetta is vibrant and tasty.

All I need to add is olive oil and I use lemon zest at the end.

Linguini With Pancetta and Zucchini: Recipes at My Table

Two pot supper: side by side.

The Pancetta and onions in the pan.

The zucchini goes into the pan.  Then i add a splash of Lemon Juice.

Linguini With Pancetta and Zucchini: Recipes at My Table

My Linguini ready for the pot.

The pasta joins the party in the pan.

A platter of flavours ready for my table.

Linguini With Pancetta and Zucchini: Recipes at My Table

 

Linguini With Pancetta and Zucchini: Recipes at My Table
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Linguini With Zucchini and Pancetta

An easy any night supper!!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 2
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 225 gr linguini half package
  • 1 large zucchini cut into thin matchstick slices
  • 1 large onion
  • 1/2 inch pancetta slice
  • 1/2 cup white wine optional
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 medium lemon zest of half
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Set a large pot of water to boil.

    In a large sautee pan put in 1 tbsp olive oil and the pancetta.

    Once the bacon browns some add 1/2 a cup white wine and let it evaporate or you can add 1/2 cup water here.  

    Render the bacon and then add the onion.

    Add the Italian seasoning. 

    Let the onion become tender and add the zucchini.

    Once browned, hit with one tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice.  

    Put the pasta in the pot and follow the package directions. Always cook al dente and add the salt after the pasta. 

    When the pasta is ready, toss it into the pan with the pancetta, zucchini and onion.

    Use about a cup of the pasta water to interfuse all the ingredients.

    Put on a large platter and drizzle with the remainder 1 tbsp olive oil.

    Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and the zest of half a lemon.

    Serve with a smile.  

Recipe Notes

You can double this recipe and serve 4 hearty portions. 

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Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna: Recipes At My Table

Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna

Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna

A Sunday favourite at our house, lasagna’s deep dish flavours make it a winning dish.  It doesn’t matter who you are, chances are you eat lasagna.  It takes on many faces for many cultures and everyone puts a spin on it.  Traditionally Napoletanos claim that they invented this dish, but when in Italy the best comes from Emilia-Romania.  Of course, no one could beat my nonna Emilia stuffed rows of tiny meatballs, cubes of cheese, dried sausage and salami, eggs and endless parmesan cheese.

Every Italian kitchen has a version of this casserole of layered pasta, sauce and a variety of other ingredients.  My absolute favourite is a simple one made with layers of a meat sauce, cheese, egg noodles.  Then,  I top it with a thick cheesey béchamel.  I make a good sauce using lamb as a base to flavour it.  The ground beef starts by sauteing onions, celery and carrots; this flavour base provides layers with richness.  At the top of this lasagna the béchamel keeps the dish moist and flavourful.  This is a crowd-pleaser. 

Pulse the onions and then follow with the celery.

Next the carrots go in for a fine shredding.

Add the soffritto to the browned meat and let it cook for a while.

You can see how the soffritto melts into the meat.

Next I hit it with some good red wine.

Cube the mozzarella and the asiago.

The first layer of meat and cheese.

The second layer is ricotta.

The second layer of meat and cheese and the pan is almost full.

The last layer is the bechamel..

Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna: Recipes At My Table

After 50 minutes it comes out of the oven and you add more sauce before putting it back in the oven.

Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna: Recipes At My Table

When you let it sit, it cuts perfectly.

Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna: Recipes At My Table

 

 

 

Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna: Recipes At My Table
5 from 1 vote
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Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna

A one dish crowd pleaser. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Keyword Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna
Servings 10
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb lean ground beef lamb, chicken, pork, your choice
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 cup good red wine
  • 2 cups cubed mozzarella cheese
  • 250 grams ricotta
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp minced parsley
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup cubed asiago cheese
  • 6 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 package oven ready lasagna egg noodles I use Molisana

The Bechamel Sauce

  • 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 4 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

The Lasagna Prep

  1. Start by cooking your marinara sauce.  See recipe notes for link to sauce making.  

    I added chunks of lamb to the sauce for extra flavours.

    Take the olive oil and put it in a pan.  Add the ground beef and start to brown it.  Add in the garlic, salt and pepper this and add the Italian seasoning.

    Meanwhile, peel the carrots and onion.  

    Add the onion to a food processor and pulse.

    Follow with the celery and carrots.

    You want this fine.  It is our soffritto and you want it to melt into the meat and sauce. 

    Once the beef has browned, add the soffritto and cook until all the water is absorbed.

    Now add the wine and let it simmer.  

    You want this meat mixture thick.  

    In a small bowl mix the ricotta, eggs, 1/4 cup parmesan and parsley.  Combine this well.

The Bechamel Sauce

  1. Place the butter in a sauce pan,

    When it melts add the flour and let it cook a minute.  

    Whisk continuously.

    Slowly add the milk and continue whisking.  

    Put in the parmesan and parsley.

    Whisk until it comes to a boil.

    Continue whisking until it thickens.  

The Assembly

  1. Take 1 a cup of marinara sauce and put it on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. It's the sauce that cooks the noodles and keeps the lasagna moist.

    Next put a layer of lasagna noodles on the pan.  Nestle them together and ensure that there are no gaps. 

    Put 1/2 a cup of marinara over the noodles and then spread 1/2 the meat mixture over this.  

    Spread 1/2 your cubes of both cheeses over this.

    Now, put a second layer of lasagna noodles alternating the direction of the last layer. ( If you laid them horizontally, now lay them vertically)

    No sauce over this layer.  Spread the ricotta mixture and even it out.  

    Place the third layer of lasagna noodles, once again altering the direction. 

    Pour another 1/2 cup of marinara over this layer and spread the remainder of the meat and cheese cubes.

    Place the last layer of noodles, once again altering the direction of the noodles.  

    Now it's time to pour the bechamel sauce over the lasagna.  Spread it out.  

    I take a butter knife and run it all around the perimeter of the pan.

    Place a piece of parchment over the pan and then tightly seal with aluminum foil.

    This goes into a 350 F oven for 50 minutes.

    Take the foil and parchment off and add 1/2 a cup of marinara over the bechamel.

    Take a butter knife and poke a few holes over the surface, inserting the knife almost to the bottom.

    Place back in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes.

    Remove from oven, cover with parchment and tin foil and let it sit one hour before cutting.  

Recipe Notes

Marinara sauce:  https://recipesatmytable.com/marinara-sauce-passata-making/

A good read on this dish: https://www.dailyprogress.com/lasagna-from-italy-to-america/article_ff967fe8-f951-5bfe-b669-154371e44f5c.html

 

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